Beautiful Propaganda.


I don't know if anybody sensed this idea of Japanese propaganda in the movie, but I sure did. I may be overstating it, but the element is definately there. The mysterious man represents the country itself, Japan, and the actress symbolizes the Japanese people. The whole story of searching for that person that the actress love so much is the actual search for the dignity and love for Japan. Do you remember a line in the movie where the actress says, "I will never betray him!". It is a subliminal message to the Japanese to never betray Japan. Also, in the first scenes of the actress's memories, there is a reference to Japan's invasion of Manchuria. The movie talks about how the Japanese soldiers are fighting for their "country" and how they want to serve their country. We all know that Japan's attack on Manchuria was horrible and hostile. Not many people know how strong the Japanese propaganda is. Not many people know that the Japanese school books lie about the wars in the 20th century. Those books justifices their attack on Asian countries and teaches young Japanese that "they" were the ones that were tricked. Yes, it still goes on these days. Many Asian countries criticize Japan for it, but Japan is too strong a country to oppose harshly. Anyway, you have to understand that kind of "strong nationalism" is sometimes corporated in the Japanese movies. Just be aware of it. You have to read between the lines.

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*omission*
Japanese are evil!
I hate everything what was made by JAP!
Even art..

By the way,many Chinese movie are propaganda too.
Extremely one-sided view on Japanese and war.
There is many side on thing..

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[deleted]

Well, "strong nationalism" is incorporated into many American movies too. "You have to read between the lines." Really? I didn't know that. So, does that make this movie dangerous?

Sorry, I can't continue this post, as I'd be violating several board rules.

"I would engage in a battle of wits with you... but you appear unarmed."

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I think you missed some major plot points. Watch it again. The mysterious man was a human rights activist. He was opposed to Japanese government policy before and during WWII -- that's why he was a fugative.

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Having actually lived in Japan, I can tell you that this sence of "nationalism" is vurtually non existant in the Japanese people. Most of them couldn't care less about the military, or who provoked who before the war. American movies are far, far more obtuce as far as nationalism goes.

Japanese people are perhaps the most non-confrontational people I ever came across in my life. However, i'm sure these comments are futile, as your mind is so full of westren propaganda, Gods own will couldn't jiggle your neurons into perhaps persuing both sides to the story.

I might suggest you read up on "The War of 1812" for starters. That should put you in your place if you're an american. If you are interested in seeing the Japanese perspective of the events leading up to the second world war, read the book "Rising Sun" by John Tohland. You might even consider taking a trip to Japan atleast once, or talk to a Japanese person before you attempt to explain to the rest of the world how they think.

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Well shimazu yoshimoto san, I also lived in Japan, I am married to a Japanese woman and I am German. I said some time ago that the Japanese and the Germans have something in common: They have to apologize to the world what their ancestors did. However, the Germans did that somehow more than the Japanese - which doesn't make Germans 'better' humans than the Japanese - not at all.
However, I experienced this 'nationalism' myself at Shibuya Eki (Station), when the 'black' nationalists were using large buses and PA systems to shout their ideas to the crowd and my wife told me, they have a lot of money to equip themselves to make such appearances.
I mean in reality, they exist in Japan, stronger and more powerful than in Germany for example.
However, I did not watch this movie up to now and there is surely propaganda everywhere in the world for the respective nation. However, I didn't see any strong nationalism in any Japanese movie up to now, from Miyazaki to Mamoru Oshii and other filmmakers.
In general I found that Japanese people have a strong relation to their home country, which can be sometimes misinterpreted as nationalism but they are aware of it - at least the intelligent ones and I count filmmakers generally to the those.
This is just my opinion, may it add something useful to this discussion...

Greetings to all

m

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> I experienced this 'nationalism' myself at Shibuya Eki (Station), when the 'black' nationalists were using large buses and PA systems to shout their ideas to the crowd and my wife told me, they have a lot of money to equip themselves to make such appearances.

These people are ultra nationalist pretender Yakuzas. Their true intention to degradating Japanese nationalism as bad and unpleasant. In fact, 20-30 percent of their members are Korean nationals living in Japan. Authentic Japanese people were not educated to do such ashaming behaviour if it looks bad in public. Because the shame (haji) is very important part in Japanese culture.

Few times are year, some of these "Japanese ultra nationalist members" are arrested for verious reasons, including threating some companies and political organizations, but surprisingly you find some Korean names in these arrestees. In fact the murderer of Japanese of Parliament member in 2002, was ultra nationalist who was actually a Korean national living in Japan.

I don't know who finance those activists. But keep watch these news carefully. You will find what they are saying (Uyoku, right wing, ultra nationalist, loving Japanese military songs) and what they are doing (killing politicians and threatning companies and government) and who they are. You soon find some interesing underground political activities in Japan.

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From my knowledge, Germany has really really tried to atone for its atrocities during WW2... not only with apologies but with laws such as making it illegal to deny the Holocaust.

Japan during WW2 was responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of Chinese and other Asian nationalities, as well as sexual slavery, millions of rapes, etc. Really horrible, horrible war crimes like the Rape of Nanking, biological weapons testing, comfort women. Yet after WW2, they have only skirted apologies in the media, their leaders continue to pay tribute to the shrines of war criminals, and they have started changing their public school history books to deny their past crimes.

That kind of behavior wouldn't even be legal in Germany, and as a Chinese, I find it puzzling, infuriating, and offensive.

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"your mind is so full of westren propaganda"

If you think that western Propoganda is bad, you should listen to Chinese propoganda.

Chinese text books teach that China defeated Japan, and include the US-Japan pacific war and the nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki only as footnotes. They also cover up the fact that North China was liberated by the Rusians and not the Chinese, and that the credit for fighting the Japanese should go to Chinese nationalist army and not to the communist resistance force.

They also teach that the number of casulties from the rape of Nanjing (Probably the third greatest war crime in history after the holocoust and the Russian seiges) was double the actual amount (the amount concluded during the post WWII war crimes tirbunals).

China also fails to acknowedge that Nationalist Japanese text books have a coverage of less than half a percent. While at the same time it bans books that Challange the government version of history.

English Language Anime: Dub it, don't pervert it.

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hahahahahHAHAH "Gods own will couldn't jiggle your neurons into perhaps persuing both sides to the story"

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Oh my god, this is laughable!

If you're willing to call this propaganda then you'd best be willing to call virtually every American movie ever produced propaganda.

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[deleted]

I second this derision! You'd have to be pretty paranoid to call this movie "propaganda"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpXwPdJIOJY
Best thing ever.

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Which is maybe not far from the truth. Even movies made with the best of intentions can carry a subliminal message.

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Not trying to offend but this is crap. The guy she's looking for wasn't FOR THE WAR.
As for her search. It was for love. She Loved him.

If you want to see real propaganda go watch Triumph Of The Will by Riefenstahl or Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore. Now That's propaganda.

Did you ever notice that people who believe in creationism look realy un-evolved? - Bill Hicks

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Much of what you say is true, but consider this; if the show was really Japanese propaganda, why the scene with the old agent who tortured the artist to death? I would think that propagandists would not allow for a character who feels remorse over the atrocities he has perpetrated in the name of Japan. Sometimes if you read too much into works, you miss the little things that say a lot.

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I liked the line in the beginning how the pre-WWII government was taken over by Japan's "right wing." See? The right wing always messes things up ;)

Seriously: I think the Japanese have accepted their country's past actions, and I didn't see anything to the contrary in this film. I thought it was interesting to see heroic "resistance" to the war-mongering government ... implicitly admitting that Japan's government was a "bad guy" in the earlier part of the century.

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I've already heard of real actresses (one's still alive) who were "duped/forced" to do those propaganda movies for the Japanese military, so I sort of pitied her when she went through the same thing-- the historical fact is that they can't really "refuse" something like that in those "patriotic" times.

This movie is precious in showing how an actress is simply "caught up" in the tides of the times.... and she did so many "dumb" commercial/ genre movies (Godzilla, ninjitsu-- I blushed to admit I enjoyed them) that I can't really see this as "Japanese propaganda".

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Gee, no westerner seems to notice the propoganda present in their own country, but can apparently spot hidden messages meant for a foreign audience time and again. It is to laugh.

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dogalmighty666 wrote: "Gee, no westerner seems to notice the propoganda present in their own country, but can apparently spot hidden messages meant for a foreign audience time and again. It is to laugh."

How do you know the original poster is a "westerner"? Do you think anyone who has an opinion of a culture can't be of the same culture or even be in ths same area? How do you know "westerners" can not notice our own propaganda? North Americans love to criticize themselves and their government. Hell, they make it their job and past time to question their government and press.

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"The shallow drowned lose less than we."

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